'ShaknSpin' and 'ShaknSpin2' Turntable Analysers

[Bonesy Jonesy]

Hi WBF Members,

Does anybody have the 'ShaknSpin' (original version 1 or latest version 2 ('ShaknSpin2')) Turntable Analyser and if so, is it any good i.e. accuracy, ease of use, a useful product to check some of your TT performance parameters etc. or just a waste of money (RRP approx. US$260 / £240) ?

News

Featured Post Shaknspin recommended by Stereophile (03/04/2023) For the third time in a row, our Shaknspin2 has been elected a Stereophile Recommended Component in the Phono Accessories category. C…

shaknspin.wordpress.com

 

[Bonesy Jonesy]

Michael Framer seems to approve it in March 2021 !

"shaknspin" Electronically Measures Turntable Speed Plus a Great Deal More

While the name "shaknspin" may sound like a child's toy, the device is anything but, though it does make child's play of measuring turntable speed, calculating wow and flutter, jitter and more, graphically representing speed variations as histograms by frequency and speed distribution and even...

www.analogplanet.com

HifiPig also looked at version 2 (March 2022) ;

Shaknspin2 Turntable Analyser | Hifi Pig

THE SHAKNSPIN2 TURNTABLE ANALYSER NOW FEATURES AN IR-TRANSCEIVER FOR SELF CALIBRATION The new Shaknspin2 features a new IR-self calibration method which the manufacturer claims “guarantees absolutely accurate speed readings every time”. The Shaknspin2 uses a 9 degrees-of-freedom sensor to...

www.hifipig.com

However, it would be good to know if it is a useful and accurate device for people that have purchased it ?

 

[mtemur]

I haven’t got a chance to use it but I checked it’s features from the link you shared. It’s calculations are based on DIN and WRMS. IMHO they are rather basic standards compared to AES. A certain integration time is necessary to properly measure w&f.

Results shared by reviwers (M. Fremer) using shakenspin are rather good. IMHO it’s because of shakenspin’s dependency to lower quality standards.

 

[Bonesy Jonesy]

I haven’t got a chance to use it but I checked it’s features from the link you shared. It’s calculations are based on DIN and WRMS. IMHO they are rather basic standards compared to AES. A certain integration time is necessary to properly measure w&f.

Results shared by reviwers (M. Fremer) using shakenspin are rather good. IMHO it’s because of shakenspin’s dependency to lower quality standards.

Thank you 'mtemur'.. Very much appreciated. I will hold off from purchasing one then to check my Kuzma XL DC TT.

 

[mtemur]

I recommend to use this:

Turntable Speed, Jere-Joonas Valtanen

and this:

RPM - Turntable Speed Accuracy, Philip Broder

apps for quick comparisons of turntables but they’re not reliable measuring devices. IMHO most accurate results -which are also worse compared to other devices- can be achieved by AM software.

 

[Bonesy Jonesy]

I recommend to use this:

Turntable Speed, Jere-Joonas Valtanen

and this:

RPM - Turntable Speed Accuracy, Philip Broder

apps for quick comparisons of turntables but they’re not reliable measuring devices. IMHO most accurate results -which are also worse compared to other devices- can be achieved by AM software.

Thank you for the information 'mtemur'.

I currently use the 'KAB' Speed Strobe light (Illuminator) and accompanying 'KAB' Speed Strobe platter speed disc to regularly check and (if required) make slight adjustments to platter speed on my XL DC;

KAB Electro Acoustics http://www.kabusa.com

www.kabusa.com

 

[mtemur]

Thank you for the information 'mtemur'.

I currently use the 'KAB' Speed Strobe light (Illuminator) and accompanying 'KAB' Speed Strobe platter speed disc to regularly check and (if required) make slight adjustments to platter speed on my XL DC;

KAB Electro Acoustics http://www.kabusa.com

www.kabusa.com

KAB is good for checking speed but unfortunately cartridge drag is left behind.

 

[Bonesy Jonesy]

KAB is good for checking speed but unfortunately cartridge drag is left behind.

I'm guessing that in the case of high mass platters with such high turning inertia and centrifugal forces (once up to speed) that any stylus drag forces will be infinitely small vs such turning forces from such a platter ?

If this isn't the case then we need a 'KAB' type Speed Strobe light with a special accompanying 'KAB' type Speed Strobe platter speed disc with the outer segment being a record (for the stylus to play on) and the inner section the strobe platter to check the speed ?

 

[mtemur]

I'm guessing that in the case of high mass platters with such high turning inertia and centrifugal forces (once up to speed) that any stylus drag forces will be infinitely small vs such turning forces from such a platter ?

If this isn't the case then we need a 'KAB' type Speed Strobe light with a special accompanying 'KAB' type Speed Strobe platter speed disc with the outer segment being a record (for the stylus to play on) and the inner section the strobe platter to check the speed ?

It’s relatively small but still needs to taken into account. For example it’s around 0.06rpm for a 18kg platter and 2g VTF with a shibata stylus. This is without an encoder (platter's revolution counter) and correction system.

 

[Walnut Horns]

The KAB strobe disc is a little larger than a 45 rpm record, so I just place it on top of a 33 rpm record while playing songs on the outer tracks to account for stylus drag.

 

[Ron Resnick]

The KAB strobe disc is a little larger than a 45 rpm record, so I just place it on top of a 33 rpm record while playing songs on the outer tracks to account for stylus drag.

Very clever!

 

[Bonesy Jonesy]

The KAB strobe disc is a little larger than a 45 rpm record, so I just place it on top of a 33 rpm record while playing songs on the outer tracks to account for stylus drag.

That's a great idea 'Walnut Horns'. A+

My KAB strobe disc is much larger than a 7" record i.e. diameter of my strobe disc is approx. 255mm (approx. 10").

Therefore I only have approx. 17mm (approx. 0.75") of playing distance with a 12" record. However this should be enough space to give me the time to check the platter speed with the KAB Speed Strobe light turned on and ready to go.

I will have a go with this tonight.

 

[Bonesy Jonesy]

Another idea I have is to stick a marker to the side of my XL DC platter and use a digital non contact portable tachometer set up on my Dino-Lite microscope RK-10A stand at the side of my TT.
Then I can check the platter speed with a record playing at the beginning, middle and close to the end of a record.

For Wow and Flutter check maybe I should purchase the AnalogMagik V2 ? which would also allow me to fully check my current cartridge set-up (which was done professionally by a Kuzma Dealer before my TT and 4Point 11" arm was delivered to me last July).

 

[Bonesy Jonesy]

Another idea I have is to stick a marker to the side of my XL DC platter and use a digital non contact portable tachometer set up on my Dino-Lite microscope RK-10A stand at the side of my TT.
Then I can check the platter speed with a record playing at the beginning, middle and close to the end of a record.

For Wow and Flutter check maybe I should purchase the AnalogMagik V2 ? which would also allow me to fully check my current cartridge set-up (which was done professionally by a Kuzma Dealer before my TT and 4Point 11" arm was delivered to me last July).

Looking online at digital non contact portable / hand-held tachometers, most of them have readouts and accuracies to only to one decimal place !

 

[mtemur]

Another idea I have is to stick a marker to the side of my XL DC platter and use a digital non contact portable tachometer set up on my Dino-Lite microscope RK-10A stand at the side of my TT.
Then I can check the platter speed with a record playing at the beginning, middle and close to the end of a

I used them, laser tachometer, it’s not useful. results are not consistent. Maybe you can find a better one. IMHO if you’re not going to use AM or another computer software, iphone apps are the next best thing. Actually after determining margin of error, RPM app is the best thing for quickly checking the speed of turntable.